Top 10 Indian Football Legends: Greatest Indian Footballers (Ranked)

India might be known as a cricket-crazy country, but there is a storm brewing in football across various regions. Although recent trends may be discouraging, the Indian football team puts a lot of emphasis on grassroots development, and it will surely yield results in the future. Indian football legends gave their blood and sweat to the team’s cause as the country, in terms of football, enjoyed its golden phase during the mid-20^th century.

India has had several great footballers across different eras. Right from Sailen Manna and Chuni Goswami to Sunil Chhetri, these legends of Indian football helped the game grow so much in the country. Despite the numerous challenges they faced, they never looked back and strived only to serve the beautiful game. In the process, they became the greatest Indian footballers of all time, and in this article, we’ll reminisce about the Indian football legends.

List of Legends of Indian Football

Football was introduced to India as a colonial sport. It started in elite circles, and access to the game was limited. However, a few superstars born in that period changed the game. Through their skill and exploits, they broke the shackles and made the game accessible for everyone. Thanks to them, we can make a list of Indian football legends today.

How Did We Rank the Greatest Indian Footballer of All Time?

There are various parameters based on which we’ve compiled our list of the greatest Indian footballers of all time. Let’s take a look at them below:

Longevity

To become one of the greatest Indian footballers of all time, the players must have had extremely long careers. It helps them spread the game to every nook and corner of the country.

Career Stats

Although it is nigh-impossible to hit ground-breaking numbers, we expect the players to have decent stats.

Impact

By becoming the greatest Indian footballers of all time, these players influenced tens of thousands of youngsters to pick the sport professionally.

Achievements

The players on the list achieved quite a lot in their careers. They were even recognised by the governing bodies of the sport, enhancing their legacy,

Who is the Greatest Indian Footballer of All Time?

As we dive into the list of the greatest Indian footballers of all time, we will go through the legends who redefined the game, and finally end the list with the greatest Indian footballer of all time.

10. Subrata Paul (Goalkeeper)

Nicknamed the Spider-Man of Indian football, Paul is one of the best ever shot-stoppers the country has produced. Known for his lightning-quick reflexes and strong shot-stopping, he produced key saves in crucial games for club and country.

He signed for the Danish club FC Vestsjaelland and became the first of his kind to sign for a European top-flight club. However, despite training with the squad regularly, he never made a first-team appearance. However, he returned home and played a starring role for India at the AFC Asian Cup in 2011. He produced 16 saves against South Korea to earn the Spider-Man moniker.

9. I.M. Vijayan (Striker)

Born as Inivalappil Mani Vijayan, Vijayan is one of the greatest Indian footballers of all time. He was a true example of a rough diamond polished well by the system to produce greatness. Vijayan was selling sodas for a living in his teenage years to make ends meet.

He was an aggressive and pacy striker who had plenty of skill to beat the defenders with ease. He represented top clubs in India like Mohun Bagan, Churchill Brothers and East Bengal before captaining the Indian national team. He scored just 12 seconds after kickoff to set up a national record. Post retirement, Vijayan runs an academy to help young footballers.

8. Peter Thangaraj (Goalkeeper)

Widely considered the best Indian goalkeeper of all time, Thangaraj started his career as a centre-forward. His coaches suggested a change of position, and Thangaraj duly followed. His shot-stopping and kicking made him a strong presence in the goal.

He combined with S.A. Rahim to become India’s number one goalkeeper at the 1962 Asian Games. He shook an injury scare in the final to produce save after save as his country won the Gold Medal. He was honoured with an Arjuna Award in 1972 for his contributions.

7. Neville D’Souza (Striker)

The Goa-born striker became one of the Indian football legends thanks to a career switch. Neville was a field hockey player initially and went on tours to East Africa as a forward. His love for football made him change sports. His athleticism helped him thrive in football as well.

Neville was pacy and had all kinds of finishes in his locker room. He became the first Asian to score a hat-trick at the Olympics when he scored one against hosts Australia. He shared the golden boot of the tournament as well. He was sledged by opponents and reacted brilliantly by performing on the field.

6. Sailen Manna (Left-back)

Sailen Manna was a brilliant human being first and a footballer later, as described by his close friends. His leadership qualities helped his side and himself as well. Manna had a golden left boot as he specialised in long goals, and he defended with his heart out.

Manna captained Mohun Bagan and spent his entire club career there whilst also captaining them. He captained India to a Gold Medal at the 1951 Asian Games held in New Delhi. Manna was named in the list of the 10 best captains by the English FA in 1953. He also received the honour of being the AIFF Player of the Millennium.

5. Gostha Pal (Centre-back)

Gostha Behari Pal was a master of all sports while growing up. He played cricket, hockey, volleyball and finally picked football to pursue professionally. Pal earned the nickname of “Chinese Wall” for his excellent defending while playing for Mohun Bagan against English teams in the Rovers Cup.

Pal was also called up to the Indian National Team and was made the captain of the team. He became the first-ever captain of the team in the process as they toured Ceylon. The Indian Government celebrated his legacy by releasing a postal stamp and recognising him as one of the legends of Indian football.

4. Chuni Goswami (Striker)

The charismatic Goswami is dubbed the poster boy of Indian football for his contributions to the game. He was a devout one-club man who spent his entire career with Mohun Bagan, even rejecting a move to Tottenham Hotspur in the process. Goswami was a master of cricket too, but chose football as his prime career.

Goswami was an agile dribbler, an elite passer and an even better finisher. He scored for fun on the club stage and brought the same flair when called up to the national team. Under S.A. Rahim, he became the captain and led his side to a historic Gold Medal at the 1962 Asian Games.

3. Bhaichung Bhutia (Striker)

Hailed as the torchbearer of Indian football on the international stage, Bhutia was a force of nature as a player. Nicknamed the Sikkimese sniper, Bhutia was fast, agile and two-footed. After starting his career in the highlands, he joined East Bengal at 16 to pursue a pro career. He played for the European club Bury but failed to make an impact due to injuries.

Bhutia returned to India and had a successful career. He became part of the Indian national team and formed a deadly strike partnership with I.M. Vijayan. Together, they ended a 27-year drought for Asian football as they secured a qualification to the finals. Bhutia opened football schools to help young footballers after his retirement.

2. P.K. Banerjee (Attacking Midfielder)

Banerjee was a mercurial forward in his playing days as he was a versatile player who could play any role in the front line. He was a child prodigy as he made his senior debut at just 15 years of age. Banerjee is known for his quick burst of pace and ability to take on defenders.

He was an elite playmaker with excellent passing range. Together with Chini Goswami and Tulsidas Balram, he formed one of the best attacking trios in Indian history. He scored an important equaliser at the 1960 Summer Olympics against France and was a driving force in their 1962 Asian Games triumph. He became one of the Indian football legends for all his feats.

1. Sunil Chhetri (Striker)

The words Captain, Leader, and Legend were coined for Chhetri and Chhetri only. The service he did to Indian football can not be put into words. Chhetri started as a nimble-footed striker who had more power than a dynamo. He had an explosive pace to breeze past defenders and score daggers from anywhere in the box.

Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri’s best contributions came for the Indian national team. After making his debut during the twilight years of Bhaichung Bhutia, he took on the baton and passed it to the entire nation. He was a lone man fighting for the national team at times. Having scored at the AFC Asian Cup in 2019, he reiterated his importance on the world stage.

He urged fans to back the teams, and they filled up stadiums for him. For all his contributions to sports, he was awarded the Arjuna Award and the prestigious Padma Shri award. Chhetri can be considered the greatest Indian footballer of all time.